Hi,I am using an old Libretto 50CT, 4Go disk, 32Mo memory (without floppy disk, without CDROM), just Windows98se on an ide drive.

I have a c drive on a dos partition. I have VL59.ISO on the c: drive , top level directory. I also have a subdirectory c:\loadlin with loadlin.exe, initrd.img and IDE kernel file. I downloaded the std vl 59 gold iso from the vector site.

I did loadlin ide root=/dev/ram rw initrd=initrd.img.It start without problem.

I can choose the keyboard i want, create 2 partitions (swap & linux partition).Then i launch the "start installation".

I have a message "Linux install media found" and just after pressing a key, a new message "Install media has not been mounted. Abording.".

Does someone know why?

when i type mount,i see that the dos partition is mounted and also the .iso.

I have done a direct ISO install but on a linux host... never done it from a windows host

I have not successfully completed a direct install so you might want to ingnore everything that follows.

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I did loadlin ide root=/dev/ram rw initrd=initrd.img.It start without problem.

You loaded linux into RAM then

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I have a message "Linux install media found" and just after pressing a key, a new message "Install media has not been mounted. Abording."

The installer which is running in RAM cannot mount the fat32 partition.

Further you can't install to the partition that the install media is being read from.

So here is a thought1. Load one of the micro distros like DSL or Puppy linux. DSL is smaller Puppy is more intuitive. I think both of these can utilize your present Linux swap partiton. So your 32meg of ram should not be a problem. Depending on the size of your swap partition.2. Save your chosen distro's .iso on hda1 and load it with loadlin. Use that to try your direct install. I bet you could also do this with a floppy image from one of the really old Vec versions sorry I can't seem to find a link to these3. You probably will still have to have the Vec5.9.iso on a linux partition that you are not installing to for the installer to read from the .iso. Both of these distros can create the require extra partion.4. You can clean up delete or merge any extra partions with parted or qparted later.

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I am using an old Libretto 50CT, 4Go disk, 32Mo memory (without floppy disk, without CDROM), just Windows98se on an ide drive.

This is a good candidate for the (unfortunately for you) unfinished ,VLlight

HTH

<EDIT> check this out. About half way down the second page a solution emerges.

Juste to complete my posts,when i had the message ""Install media has not been mounted. Abording", i didn't have any problem to mount my fat32 partition. it was automatic, and i could see the the different files/directory inside without problems. And the ISO was on that fat32 partition.So i don't think it was the problem. The partition to install was not the same that is read.

1 hour later, i tried a new test :I moved my iso from my fat32 to a new linux partition (just as big to keep the iso) and deleted my fat32 partition. I recreate 2 partitions (linux & swap) for installatation. Same result (maybe because i didn't made a reboot..)

a new test after :I withdraw the hard disk from my libretto and put it on a usb hard disk. I connect it to a desktop computer, launch VMWARE Workstation, create a new virtual machine, from vmware select the usb disk as my disk to operate and boot from the iso VectorLinux (without burning it). The installation launch. After i put back my ide disk on my libretto and it launch. But there are some prolems... i suppose, the disk are recognise as a sda and not a hda... i don't know at this time if it was the best solution...

I just found out this week that the 5.9 kernel has a problem with toshiba laptops.It is unable to see the HD in them.

Please don't tell that to my Toshiba Satellite (the 2 GHz Mobile Celeron), which is very happily running VL 5.9 Standard in a dual boot with Windows XP. I guess the statement should be that SOME Toshiba laptops don't work with the 5.9 kernel.--GrannyGeek